Page 11 of The Flavor of Us

I huff out a laugh, shaking my head. “Yeah. I’m good. Just… thinking.”

“Dangerous pastime,” she teases, her lips curling into a grin.

I smirk, but it doesn’t last. My chest feels tight again, and the words slip out before I can stop them. “I’m sorry, Tati.”

Her brow furrows and she shifts so she’s facing me fully, one leg tucked underneath her, the other hanging off the edge of the couch. “Carleen, no. Don’t do that. Don’t apologize.”

I glance away, chewing on the inside of my cheek. “No, I need to. I pushed you away. I made you feel like you weren’t enough—likeweweren’t enough. And I’m sorry for that. For all of it.” Goddess, I’ve been dying to say those words for months. I’ve wanted Tati to know that it was never her fault we spent those days apart.

She reaches out, her hand landing softly on my thigh. The warmth of her touch seeps through the fabric of my sweats, grounding me in a way I didn’t realize I needed.

“Carleen,” she muses, “all I saw was that we were supposed to be together. That’s all I ever thought about. The rest? It doesn’t matter anymore.”

I let out a low laugh, shaking my head as I glance back at her. “It’s wild to me, you know? That biology can just… push people together and expect them to figure it out. Like, ‘Hey, your scents match, congrats! Now go build a life together.’” It’s always been a sore spot for me, ever since I discovered my own preferences and my comfort level. It was a terrifying thought that biology would thrust me into a situation where love didn’t follow.

I’m glad that didn’t happen.

Tati snorts, her head falling back against the couch cushion as she laughs. It’s such ahersound, so full of life and warmth, that I can’t help but smile. “You soundexactlylike Ellie,” she says, her voice still tinged with laughter. “She said almost the same thing after she found out she was pregnant. Like, ‘Cool, biology. Thanks for the mandatory bonding experience.’”

I shake my head, but I’m smiling now, the heaviness in my chest starting to ease. “She’s not wrong.”

“Nope,” Tati says, popping the ‘p’ as she shifts closer to me, her arm pressing lightly against mine. “But here’s the thing, Carleen. This?Us? It’s not just biology. It’s not just some chemical reaction telling us we’re supposed to be together. It’s… it’sreal. And we get to make it whatever we want it to be. This feels like a do-over,” she continues. “Like we get to start over, clean slate, and actuallytrythis time.”

I nod, my throat tight as I process her words. “Yeah. A do-over.”

“But,” she adds, tilting her head slightly, her eyes locking onto mine, “we have to be honest with each other. No hiding, no running. If something’s wrong, we talk about it. If something feels off, we say it out loud. Otherwise… this won’t work. It can’t.”

She’s right. Goddess, she’s so right it hurts.

We fall into a comfortable silence after that. Her hand is still resting on my thigh, her thumb tracing slow circles over the fabric. I stare at the TV, but I’m not really watching it. My attention keeps drifting back to her—to the way her lips curve faintly in a private smile, to the way her scent lingers in the space between us, sweet and warm and undeniablyTati.

I shift slightly, turning so I’m facing her more fully, my knee brushing against hers. “You know… you make it really hard to stay in my head when you’re sitting this close.”

She grins, sharp and teasing. “Good. You spend way too much time in there, Alpha.”

I let out a low chuckle, reaching up to tuck a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. My fingers linger there for a moment, grazing the soft skin of her cheek. She leans into the touch, her lashes fluttering slightly as she exhales.

“Tati…” I start, but the words catch in my throat.

“It’s okay, Carleen,” she says softly, her eyes locking onto mine. “Whatever you’re trying to say—it’s okay.”

For a moment, we just look at each other and then, without thinking, without second-guessing myself for once, I lean in and press my lips softly against hers. It’s not rushed, not desperate. It’s soft, slow—like a promise. Her lips move against mine, her hand sliding up to rest against my chest and it feels like something inside me finallyclicksinto place.

When we pull back, her forehead rests lightly against mine, and our breaths mingle in the small space between us.

“We’ve got this,” I murmur, my voice low but steady.

Her lips curl into a small smile, her eyes shining. “Yeah, Alpha. We do.”

And for the first time in what feels like forever, Ibelieveit.

Chapter six

TATI

Being wrapped up in Carleen’s arms feels fucking amazing. Her scent wraps around me, the steady rise and fall of her chest beneath my cheek allowing me to relax further against her. Her arm is draped over my waist, holding me close and every time she exhales, the sound rumbles deep in her chest and into me.

Goddess, she’s purring for me.

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